Be trained in Exporting

Is exporting workable as a home-based business? Exporting is an ideal home-based business that can be done at home. Many products exported from many countries are made by home-based entrepreneurs who discovered the ease of undertaking international business right from the comforts of their home-offices.

Some exporting companies operate their manufacturing facilities in the ground floor of two story apartments, or even in the garage. Others do not even have any facility at all. Like any other business, exporting needs careful study. One has to be aware with various factors that could potentially affect the business as a whole.

So, to assist us in acquiring the skills and knowledge in exporting our products and services globally, SBA offers an online self paced course or training for exporting.

A new online course will help small businesses explore exporting opportunities in international markets. Global Enterprise: A Primer on Exporting is a free, self-paced course that provides practical guidance on exploring international markets. The new course is available from the Small Business Administration training Web site at www.sba.gov/training. To access the course, click on “Free Online Courses,” and then select the first course listed under International Trade.

Learn more about this training for Exporting in the Press Release at Small Business Trends.

Global Entrepreneurship Week Unleashes Online Challenges for Young Problem Solvers

"Unleash It!" Spurs Entrepreneurship and Innovation by Matching Enterprising Minds with Real-World Challenges! This is the calling I’ve read from Market Watch worth noting of. It is a few weeks ago article but I would just like to share it here.

Global Entrepreneurship Week organizers today launched Unleash It!,www.unleashingideas.org/unleash, an online community that will connect dozens of countries in the pursuit of entrepreneurial solutions to challenges around the world. Anyone can post a challenge -- government or business, big or small, global or local -- and bright, young minds are invited to "unleash" their creative and innovative ideas to find solutions.

Through Unleash It!, innovative thinkers will have the opportunity to explore solutions across cultural boundaries -- such as connecting virtual 3-D environments with real businesses or finding new ways to distribute potable drinking water to sub-Saharan Africa.

"This global community puts the brainpower of problem solvers to work on challenges at home and abroad," said Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, a founding sponsor of Global Entrepreneurship Week. "We are excited to see what dialogue is sparked and what solutions young people across the globe offer through Unleash It!."

Unleash It! is a signature event of the first-ever Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 17-23, 2008. Founded by the Kauffman Foundation in the United States and Make Your Mark in the United Kingdom, the Week will encourage participants to pursue entrepreneurial thinking and opportunities through activities supported by entrepreneurs, government officials, non-profit leaders and educators.

You can check out more details about this in Market Watch, the Wall Street Journal.

SAP World Tour To Help Small Buzinesses Go Global

Make the most out of it. Well, there are a lot of initiated activities that advocate to help Small Businesses and Midsize Businesses. Below is the news from FinChannel.com about SAP World Tour 2008.

The FINANCIAL -- SAP Americas, a subsidiary of SAP AG (NYSE: SAP), on October 21 announced that it is expecting to welcome customers, influencers and prospects to the SAP SME World Tour, the first SAP World Tour specifically dedicated to small businesses and midsize companies.

The SAP SME World Tour will kick off in Atlanta, Georgia on October 28, continuing on to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas, Texas and ending in San Jose, California at the beginning of November. This series of events is taking place in more than 50 cities spread over 10 countries across Europe, Asia, the United States and Latin America.

"Leveraging the successfully established format of the SAP World Tour - which is a global road show that has reached more than 130,000 customers, partners and influencers over the last four years - the SAP SME World Tour has been created to provide U.S. companies with information on how SAP solutions for small businesses and midsize companies can best fit their needs, help them successfully transform business challenges into opportunities and meet the business demands distinct to their size, industry and market." SAP reports.

I'm glad to know about this initiative as it will help especially the small business owners like me in doing business internationally. Read more about this global news at FinChannel.com.

The Small Business Administration is now offering Global Enterprise

Exporting your product or service is one indication that you are going global. Well, Small Business Administration never have stopped in supporting small business owners in our endeavor to global entrepreneurship because just earlier they announced their new offering.

The Small Business Administration is now offering Global Enterprise: A Primer on Exporting, a new online course that provides small businesses with information and guidance on exporting opportunities and international markets.

Available at the SBA Web site, the free course has a series of 30-minute training programs that allow small business owners to study at their own pace. Topics include how to identify international markets, developing an export strategy, making and receiving international payments, and finance trade operations.

The course also offers tips on determining a firm’s readiness and suitability for exporting and includes direct links to resources.

Upon completion of the course, participants receive a certificate of completion from SBA.

The SBA offers nearly 30 online tutorials on the Small Business Training Network. SBTN is part of the SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurship Education, which includes the agency’s online education programs, youth outreach and outreach to underserved markets.

This initiative is indeed very inspiring and helpful to all global entrepreneurs and all wanna be's as well. This news is courtesy of : Business Journal! Thanks and hoping to hear your views about this. You are very welcome to share it in the comments section.

McDonald’s: Local Footprint, Global Reach

This is one very interesting post I found at American Express Forum which a lot of business experts share ideas with really interesting posts in the forum. Here's one proof that will really inspire us more of pursuing our global business dreams.

Laurel Delaney wrote McDonald’s: Local Footprint, Global Reach which talked about distinct characteristic of McDonalds worldwide.

• Norway: The “Laksewrap Wasabi,” a salmon wrap with dill sauce.

• Netherlands: The “Groenteburger,” a vegetable burger.

• Germany: Frankfurters, tortellini and beer!

• Thailand: The “Samurai Pork Burger,” marinated with teriyaki sauce; a palm-fruit sundae; or a fish n’ salmon sauce burger.

• France: Wine.

• Uruguay: The “McHuevo,” a hamburger with a poached egg on top, or the “McQueso,” a toasted cheese sandwich.

• Japan: The “Chicken Tatsuta” sandwich, fried chicken spiced with soy sauce and ginger, served with cabbage and mustard mayonnaise.

• The Philippines: “McSpaghetti,” featuring a sweet tomato and meat sauce with frankfurter bits.

• Singapore: Vanilla ice cream swirled with Flavour Burst - rich chocolate, tangy raspberries, fruity grape or exotic mocha - and spiced for Singaporean tastes.

• New Zealand: The “Kiwiburger,” a hamburger with a fried egg and slice of beet.

• Chile: Dress your burgers with not ketchup but avocado paste. It becomes a “McPalta.”

• Canada: Grilled cheese sandwich, and in some parts of Canada, you can order a lobster dinner with the McLobster lobster roll.

The above are just a few which Laurel mentioned in her post. Well, like she said, if money isn't a problem - how good if we could try and witness ourselves to how the Golden Arches conquer the world's taste with the very popular and successful fast food chain in the world, McDonalds.

You can check out more of this at Blogs.OpenForum.Com!

All eyes turn to world leaders!

It pays to be aware! Below is an update courtesy from CNNMoney.com by Chris Isidore.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Federal Reserve and Treasury Department haven't been able to stop the panic gripping U.S. financial markets.

Neither have finance ministers and central bankers across the globe - from powers such as Britain and China to smaller countries such as Iceland.

In the face of the growing global crisis, can the Group of Seven and International Monetary Fund make a difference?

That's what the world is hoping. But even those calling for coordinated action on a global scale aren't sure they can.

Read more on this update at CNNMoney.com!

E-Commerce for Latin Small Business

Part of global entrepreneurship is to update ourselves of what is happening globally. Well, today we have Latin Business Chronicles to bring us with the latest news in Latin America. Let's try to check out how are they right now.

The real impediments for growth in Latin American e-commerce are logistics and payment facilities that reach secondary cities.

Small businesses in Latin America face a huge handicap—no access to global markets. And frankly, small businesses even have minimal access to markets in their own country. E-commerce is opening new doors to overcome that handicap. But the challenge is to find practical ways to apply it to the needs of small entrepreneurs.

In North America, e-commerce is an indispensable element for business, enhancing price competitiveness for consumer goods and opening exciting channels for B2B (business-to-business) opportunities. Shopping online has become routine for the North American consumer. In contrast, e-commerce, with few exceptions, plays a rather unimpressive role in Latin America. This is especially true for the region’s small and medium enterprises.

Read more about this article in Latin Business Chronicles.

Global Voices: How the U.S. Is Seen Now

Just a few days ago when U.S. financial crisis is known to the whole world. Well, BusinessWeek have gathered global voices, on how the United States is seen now. We really can't just leave this issue alone to U.S. because whether we like it or not, this crisis can affect us globally in business and in global economy.

According to Jack Ewing, from Venezuela to Japan, government officials and people on the street share their thoughts with BusinessWeek about the U.S. financial crisis.

As the world absorbed the magnitude of the U.S. financial crisis, BusinessWeek reporters around the world fanned out to gauge opinion. The big surprise: From Middle East financiers to Paris taxi drivers, people abroad draw a distinction between the excesses of Wall Street and the entrepreneurial spirit of the rest of the country. America retains its reputation as a (slightly tarnished) beacon of free enterprise.

Check out the excerpts from what people told Business Week regarding this U.S. financial crisis.